Emergency declared in Oak Springs

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management is advising the public to address weather-related concerns to their local chapters first.

Chapter officials will then call the department if more resources are needed, the Navajo Nation Bio-Terrorism Preparedness Program said.

Oak Springs Chapter, southwest of Window Rock, declared a state of emergency on Dec. 30, with a primary focus on the Pine Springs area, where there is 2 to 3 feet of snow, community services coordinator Zander Shirley said Monday.

The secondary focus is on the Oak Springs community, Shirley said.

“People are having difficulty getting around,” he said.

The chapter is helping out those who are elderly or those who have medical conditions that make them high risk.

In the Pine Springs area there are 21 high risk patients or elderly, and in the Oak Springs area there are about 37 high risk patients or elderly who are affected by the weather conditions, Shirley said.

The chapter is coordinating with the community health representative to provide firewood, coal, water and food to some of those high risk people.

According to the Bio-Terrorism Preparedness Program public information officer Selena Manychildren, one Oak Springs family was assisted with a temporary relocation on Dec. 30 and efforts were being made last week to clear the main road to help five other families that were snowed in Wednesday.

She said that the main roads in Pine Springs were assessed.

Manychildren noted that the Navajo Department of Transportation will only grade residential roads in emergency situations because the plowing of private roads requires archaeological assessments.

Shirley said that the chapter is coordinating with the Department of Emergency Management, Navajo Department of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Apache County, as well as the chapter’s own emergency response team.

In Navajo Mountain, Manychildren said Friday that residents are safe and the water line was repaired but that “priming” was being done.

A state of emergency had been declared by Utah’s San Juan County on Dec. 22 and water hauling began on Dec. 25. The Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management also declared a state of emergency for the Navajo Mountain area on Dec. 29.

According to Manychildren, people who were considered high-risk were relocated from the area on Dec. 23 and residents of Navajo Mountain have been advised to conserve water.

“The Navajo Division of Health community health representatives are checking on clients and report that residents are not having problems at this time,” Manychildren stated.